Medical Equipment Donations

Improving the Effectiveness of Medical Equipment Donations to Developing Countries (June 2013 - May 2015)

Every year, well-intentioned donations of medical equipment are sent to resource-poor countries to help fill gaps in their equipment needs.  Despite the time, effort, and resources that go into these activities, studies have shown that much of this donated medical equipment never gets put into use due to poorly identified equipment needs, incompatible electricity systems, lack of spare parts or manuals, or faulty equipment.

The CMBES International Outreach Committee recently completed a research study into the challenges of donating medical equipment to developing countries. Our objective was to improve the effectiveness of such donations by raising awareness of the challenges, and sharing best practices among donor organizations.  The film that we produced is a key component of our communication strategy to share our research findings and promote awareness of best practices to a global audience of donor organizations.

This study was funded by a grant from the International Development Research Centre (Ottawa).

For more resources on effective medical equipment donation practices, visit:

• WHO - Medical device donations: considerations for solicitation and provision
• THET "Making it Work" toolkit